These things defile by overshadowing: a corpse, an olive-sized [portion of flesh] of a corpse, an olive-sized [portion] of nezel, a ladleful of corpse-mold, the spine or the skull, [a] full limb of a corpse, or [a full] limb [severed] from a living person with the appropriate amount of flesh, a quarter [of a kav] of bones from the structural majority or numerical majority, and the structural majority or numerical majority [of the bones] of a corpse even though they do not amount to a quarter [of a kab]; [all these] are unclean. How many [bones] form the numerical majority? One hundred and twenty-five.
[The following likewise defile:]A quarter [of a log] of blood, A quarter [of a log] of mixed blood from one corpse. Rabbi Akiva says: [even] from two corpses. [With regard to] the blood of a child that has completely flowed forth: Rabbi Akiva says: [it defiles] in even the smallest quantity, But the sages say: [there must be] a quarter [of a log]. [With regard to] an olive-sized [portion] of [corpse] worms whether alive or dead: Rabbi Eliezer declares [it] unclean, like the flesh, But the sages declare [it] clean. [With regard to] the ashes of burnt persons: Rabbi Eliezer says: the [minimum] quantity [for defilement is] a quarter [of a kav]. But the sages declare [them to be] clean. A ladleful and [a little] more of grave-dust is unclean. Rabbi Shimon declares [it to be] clean. A ladleful of corpse-mold mixed with water is not [regarded as] joined [into one mass] for [the purposes of] defilement.
The following defile by contact and carriage but not by overshadowing: A bone of barleycorn size, Earth from a foreign country, A bet peras, A limb of a corpse, or a limb [severed] from a living person which has no longer its appropriate flesh, A spine or a skull which is deficient. How much is [considered] a deficiency in the spine? Bet Shammai say: two vertebrae, But Bet Hillel say: even one vertebra. And in the skull? Bet Shammai say: [the size of a] hole [made] by a drill, But Bet Hillel say: as much as would be taken from a living person and he would die. Of what drill did they speak? Of the small one [used] by physicians, the words of Rabbi Meir. But the sages say: of the large one in the Temple-chamber.
The covering stone and the buttressing stone [of a grave] defile by contact and overshadowing but not by carriage. Rabbi Eliezer says: they do defile by carriage. Rabbi Joshua says: if there is grave dust beneath them, they defile by carriage, but if not they do not defile by carriage. What is the buttressing stone? That upon which the covering stone is supported. But the stone that serves as buttress to the buttressing stone is clean.
These are clean if they are deficient:An olive-sized [portion] of a corpse; An olive-sized [portion] of nezel, A ladleful of corpse-mold, A quarter [of a log] of blood, A bone of the size of a barley-corn, And a limb [severed] from a living person, the bone of which [limb] is deficient.
A backbone or a skull [made up from the bones] of two corpses, A quarter [of a log] of blood from two corpses, A quarter [of a kav] of bones from two corpses, A limb of a corpse from two corpses, And a limb [severed] from a living person, [such a limb being made up] from two persons, Rabbi Akiva declares [the all] unclean But the sages declare them clean.
A bone the size of a barley-corn that is divided into two: Rabbi Akiva declares it unclean But Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri declares it clean. Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri says: they did not say 'bones’ the size of a barley-corn, but ‘bone’ the size of a barley-corn. A quarter [of a kav] of bones crushed fine, and there is not a single [bone] the size of a barley-corn: Rabbi Shimon declares it clean But the sages unclean. A limb [severed] from a living person which has been divided into two is clean. Rabbi Yose declares [it] unclean; But he agrees that if it is taken from a living person by halves it is clean.
אֵלּוּ מְטַמְּאִין בְּאֹהֶל. הַמֵּת, וְכַזַּיִת מִן הַמֵּת, וְכַזַּיִת נֶצֶל, וּמְלֹא תַרְוָד רָקָב, הַשִּׁדְרָה, וְהַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת, אֵבָר מִן הַמֵּת וְאֵבָר מִן הַחַי שֶׁיֵּשׁ עֲלֵיהֶן בָּשָׂר כָּרָאוּי, רֹבַע עֲצָמוֹת מֵרֹב הַבִּנְיָן אוֹ מֵרֹב הַמִּנְיָן. וְרֹב בִּנְיָנוֹ וְרֹב מִנְיָנוֹ שֶׁל מֵת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם רֹבַע, טְמֵאִין. כַּמָּה הוּא רֹב מִנְיָנוֹ, מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה:
These things defile by overshadowing: a corpse, an olive-sized [portion of flesh] of a corpse, an olive-sized [portion] of nezel, a ladleful of corpse-mold, the spine or the skull, [a] full limb of a corpse, or [a full] limb [severed] from a living person with the appropriate amount of flesh, a quarter [of a kav] of bones from the structural majority or numerical majority, and the structural majority or numerical majority [of the bones] of a corpse even though they do not amount to a quarter [of a kab]; [all these] are unclean. How many [bones] form the numerical majority? One hundred and twenty-five.
רְבִיעִית דָּם, וּרְבִיעִית דַּם תְּבוּסָה מִמֵּת אֶחָד. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, מִשְּׁנֵי מֵתִים. דַּם קָטָן שֶׁיָּצָא כֻלּוֹ, רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, כָּל שֶׁהוּא. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, רְבִיעִית. כַּזַּיִת רִמָּה, בֵּין חַיָּה בֵּין מֵתָה, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר מְטַמֵּא כִבְשָׂרוֹ, וַחֲכָמִים מְטַהֲרִים. אֵפֶר שְׂרוּפִים, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, שִׁעוּרוֹ בְרֹבַע, וַחֲכָמִים מְטַהֲרִין. מְלֹא תַרְוָד וְעוֹד עֲפַר קְבָרוֹת, טָמֵא, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מְטַהֵר. מְלֹא תַרְוָד רָקָב שֶׁגְּבָלוֹ בְמַיִם, אֵינוֹ חִבּוּר לְטֻמְאָה:
[The following likewise defile:]A quarter [of a log] of blood, A quarter [of a log] of mixed blood from one corpse. Rabbi Akiva says: [even] from two corpses. [With regard to] the blood of a child that has completely flowed forth: Rabbi Akiva says: [it defiles] in even the smallest quantity, But the sages say: [there must be] a quarter [of a log]. [With regard to] an olive-sized [portion] of [corpse] worms whether alive or dead: Rabbi Eliezer declares [it] unclean, like the flesh, But the sages declare [it] clean. [With regard to] the ashes of burnt persons: Rabbi Eliezer says: the [minimum] quantity [for defilement is] a quarter [of a kav]. But the sages declare [them to be] clean. A ladleful and [a little] more of grave-dust is unclean. Rabbi Shimon declares [it to be] clean. A ladleful of corpse-mold mixed with water is not [regarded as] joined [into one mass] for [the purposes of] defilement.
אֵלּוּ מְטַמְּאִין בְּמַגָּע וּבְמַשָּׂא וְאֵינָן מְטַמְּאִין בְּאֹהֶל. עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה, וְאֶרֶץ הָעַמִּים, וּבֵית הַפְּרָס, אֵבָר מִן הַמֵּת וְאֵבָר מִן הַחַי שֶׁאֵין עֲלֵיהֶן בָּשָׂר כָּרָאוּי, הַשִּׁדְרָה וְהַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת שֶׁחָסָרוּ. כַּמָּה הוּא חֶסְרוֹן בַּשִּׁדְרָה, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, שְׁתֵּי חֻלְיוֹת. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, אֲפִלּוּ חֻלְיָה אֶחָת. וּבַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, כִּמְלֹא מַקְדֵּחַ. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּנָּטֵל מִן הַחַי וְיָמוּת. בְּאֵיזֶה מַקְדֵּחַ אָמְרוּ, בַּקָּטָן שֶׁל רוֹפְאִים, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, בַּגָּדוֹל שֶׁל לִשְׁכָּה:
The following defile by contact and carriage but not by overshadowing: A bone of barleycorn size, Earth from a foreign country, A bet peras, A limb of a corpse, or a limb [severed] from a living person which has no longer its appropriate flesh, A spine or a skull which is deficient. How much is [considered] a deficiency in the spine? Bet Shammai say: two vertebrae, But Bet Hillel say: even one vertebra. And in the skull? Bet Shammai say: [the size of a] hole [made] by a drill, But Bet Hillel say: as much as would be taken from a living person and he would die. Of what drill did they speak? Of the small one [used] by physicians, the words of Rabbi Meir. But the sages say: of the large one in the Temple-chamber.
הַגּוֹלֵל וְהַדּוֹפֵק מְטַמְּאִין בְּמַגָּע וּבְאֹהֶל, וְאֵינָן מְטַמְּאִין בְּמַשָּׂא. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, מְטַמְּאִין בְּמַשָּׂא. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, אִם יֵשׁ תַּחְתֵּיהֶן עֲפַר קְבָרוֹת, מְטַמְּאִין בְּמַשָּׂא. וְאִם לָאו, אֵינָן מְטַמְּאִין בְּמַשָּׂא. אֵיזֶהוּ הַדּוֹפֵק, אֶת שֶׁהַגּוֹלֵל נִשְׁעָן עָלָיו. אֲבָל דּוֹפֵק דּוֹפְקִין, טָהוֹר:
The covering stone and the buttressing stone [of a grave] defile by contact and overshadowing but not by carriage. Rabbi Eliezer says: they do defile by carriage. Rabbi Joshua says: if there is grave dust beneath them, they defile by carriage, but if not they do not defile by carriage. What is the buttressing stone? That upon which the covering stone is supported. But the stone that serves as buttress to the buttressing stone is clean.
אֵלּוּ שֶׁאִם חָסְרוּ טְהוֹרִין. כַּזַּיִת מִן הַמֵּת, וְכַזַּיִת נֶצֶל, וּמְלֹא תַרְוָד רָקָב, וּרְבִיעִית דָּם, וְעֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה, וְאֵבָר מִן הַחַי שֶׁחָסַר עַצְמוֹ:
These are clean if they are deficient:An olive-sized [portion] of a corpse; An olive-sized [portion] of nezel, A ladleful of corpse-mold, A quarter [of a log] of blood, A bone of the size of a barley-corn, And a limb [severed] from a living person, the bone of which [limb] is deficient.
הַשִּׁדְרָה וְהַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת מִשְּׁנֵי מֵתִים, וּרְבִיעִית דָּם מִשְּׁנֵי מֵתִים, וְרֹבַע עֲצָמוֹת מִשְּׁנֵי מֵתִים, וְאֵבָר מִן הַמֵּת מִשְּׁנֵי מֵתִים, וְאֵבָר מִן הַחַי מִשְּׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים, רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא מְטַמֵּא, וַחֲכָמִים מְטַהֲרִין:
A backbone or a skull [made up from the bones] of two corpses, A quarter [of a log] of blood from two corpses, A quarter [of a kav] of bones from two corpses, A limb of a corpse from two corpses, And a limb [severed] from a living person, [such a limb being made up] from two persons, Rabbi Akiva declares [the all] unclean But the sages declare them clean.
עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה שֶׁנֶּחֱלַק לִשְׁנַיִם, רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא מְטַמֵּא, וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן נוּרִי מְטַהֵר. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן נוּרִי, לֹא אָמְרוּ עֲצָמוֹת כַּשְּׂעֹרָה, אֶלָּא עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה. רֹבַע עֲצָמוֹת שֶׁנִּדַּקְדְּקוּ וְאֵין בְּכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מְטַהֵר, וַחֲכָמִים מְטַמְּאִין. אֵבָר מִן הַחַי שֶׁנֶּחֱלַק לִשְׁנַיִם, טָהוֹר. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי מְטַמֵּא. וּמוֹדֶה שֶׁאִם נִטַּל חֲצָאִים שֶׁהוּא טָהוֹר:
A bone the size of a barley-corn that is divided into two: Rabbi Akiva declares it unclean But Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri declares it clean. Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri says: they did not say 'bones’ the size of a barley-corn, but ‘bone’ the size of a barley-corn. A quarter [of a kav] of bones crushed fine, and there is not a single [bone] the size of a barley-corn: Rabbi Shimon declares it clean But the sages unclean. A limb [severed] from a living person which has been divided into two is clean. Rabbi Yose declares [it] unclean; But he agrees that if it is taken from a living person by halves it is clean.